Illustrative stock photo (source: TASR)
The exemption from self-isolation for teenagers crossing the Slovak border is over.
Our paywall policy
The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope.
Until August 9, children aged 12-18 followed the same rules as their parents when coming to Slovakia. This means that if their parents were vaccinated, they were not asked to self-isolate, but if the parents were not vaccinated, the children had to self-isolate with them.
The exemption was introduced by the Public Health Authority (ÚVZ), to give those aged 12-18 time to get vaccinated against Covid. Slovakia allows the vaccination of this age group, using the vaccine by Pfizer/BioNTech.
Yet, only 19 percent of minors aged 12-17 years have been inoculated so far, as Education Minister Branislav Gröhling (SaS) has said.
Application of adult rules
The end of the transitional period means that from August 10, children aged 12-18 are treated as adults.
This means that if they have been fully vaccinated, children in this age group do not have to self-isolate after coming to Slovakia from abroad.
If they have not been fully vaccinated (applies to those who received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine as well as the unvaccinated), this age group needs to self-isolate for 14 days, even if both parents are fully vaccinated. They can take a PCR test no sooner than on the 5th day after their arrival and end self-isolation after receiving a negative test result.
Everybody coming to Slovakia, whether vaccinated or not, are obliged to fill in the eHranica online form.
